Container and lid construction

ABSTRACT

This invention provides a container consisting of a body portion and a lid portion. One of the portions supports two spaced-apart pins and the other of the portions defines two pocket means adapted to receive said pins. The lid portion can be resiliently distorted to permit the pins to enter the pocket means, so that the pins may define hinge means between said portions.

United States Patent Kreutzweiser Nov. 26, 1974 1 1 CONTAINER AND LID CONSTRUCTION [75] Inventor: Charles E. Kreutzweiser, Kitchener,

Ontario, Canada [73] Assignee: Electrohome Limited, Kitchener,

Ontario, Canada 22 Filed: Nov. 21, 1972 211 Appl. No.: 308,426

3,006,497 10/1961 Doehler 220/32 3,087,642 4/1963 Caparone 220/31 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 74,602 2/1949 Norway 220/32 355,420 6/1930 Great Britain 220/32 Primary ExaminerHerbert F. Ross Assistant Examiner-R0 E. Hart Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sim & McBurney [5 7 ABSTRACT This invention provides a container consisting of a body portion and a lid portion. One of the portions supports two spaced-apart pins and the other of the portions defines two pocket means adapted to receive said pins. The lid portion can be resiliently distorted to permit the pins to enter the pocket means, so that the pins may define hinge means between said portions.

9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 CONTAINER AND LID CONSTRUCTION This invention relates generally to a container and lid construction, and has to do particularly with a container and lid construction designed for ease of assembly and disassembly.

An object of this invention is to provide a container and lid construction in which assembly of the container and the lid together into hinging cooperation requires no mechanical fasteners and no intricate assembly operation.

Accordingly, this invention provides a container comprising a body portion and a lid portion, one of said portions supporting two spaced-apart pins, the other of said portions defining two pocket means adapted to receive said pins, the lid portion having a substantially circular periphery and being resiliently distortable to permit said pins to enter said pocket means, said pins in said pocket means defining hinge means between said portions, the hinge means lying along a chord of said circular periphery.

In the preferred version of this invention, the pins project outwardly from the body portion and away from each other, and are adapted to enter openings in the lid portion. Both the lid portion and the body portion are substantially circular.

One embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. I is a partly-broken away, exploded view of the several components of a container and lid combination;

FIG. 2 is a partly-sectional, partly-elevational view of the assembled container and lid combination shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the assembled container and lid combination of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, partly broken-away side view of the contained and lid combination shown in FIG. 1.

Attention is first directed to FIG. I, in which a container and lid combination generally shown at includes a lid portion 12, and a body portion consisting of an upper circular member 14 and a lower circular member 16. The combination 10 further includes a base portion 18 having three upstanding legs 20, 21 and 22.

In the particular embodiment shown in the drawings, the body portion which is made up ofthe upper circular member 14 and the lower circular member 16 is particularly adapted to receive and support a record changer or a turn table within an appropriately sized recess 24 in the upper circular member 14. The periphery of the recess 24 is defined by conventional ledge means equipped with locating pins 28 of the usual construction. It will be understood from what follows that the recess 24 is by no means essential to this invention.

The upper circular member 14 has a substantially planar upper surface 30 in which the recess 24 is provided, and a downwardly and outwardly sloping frustoconical edge 31 surrounding the upper surface 30.

Provided integrally on the edge 31 is a horizontally elongated projecting lip 32, the purpose of which will be subsequently explained.

Located to the left of the recess 24, as viewed in FIG. 1, is an integral pocket 34 in which the control knobs,

etc. of the record changer or turntable may be located. The pocket 34 does not form any part of this invention.

Extending downwardly from the underside of the upper circular member 14 are four bosses 36 which contain axial threaded bores (not visible in FIG. 1) the purpose of which will presently be explained.

Attention is now directed to the lower circular member 16 in FIG. 1, which will be seen to include a frustoconical, upwardly diverging side wall 37, a generally dished bottom wall 39, and a central circular pocket 40 defined by a short conical side wall 42 and a flat lower wall 44 provided with grill openings 45.

The pocket 40 is adapted to receive a suitably sized loud speaker face-down, so that the soud emitted by the load speaker may pass through the grill openings 45.

Integral with the bottom wall 39 at its outer edge are three raised portions 47, 48 and 49, the purpose of which will be later explained. Located in the side wall 37 adjacent the raised portion 49 is a handle opening 51.

Two holes 52 are provided in the bottom wall 39 for the passage of wires which may lead to auxiliary speakers, or may carry line current from a wall socket.

It will be seen in FIG. 1 that the upper circular member 14 and the lower circular member 16 each define two semi-cylindrical half-pins, the upper circular member 14 defining two half pins 54 and 55, the lower circular member 16 defining two half pins 56 and 57. It will be noted that the half pins and 57 have their diametral surfaces facing each other so that when the upper circular member 14 and the lower circular member 16 are brought together the half pins 55 and 57 define a complete cylindrical pin 59 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), and the half pins 54 and 56 define a complete cylindrical pin 60 (see FIG. 3).

Attention is now directed to the lid portion 12 shown in FIG. 1, which includes an upwardly converging frusto-conical side wall 62, and a top wall 64 which is generally convex upwardly. The top wall 64 may conveniently have a small circular depression 66 at its centre for receiving an identifying wafer (not shown).

The frusto-conical side wall 62 terminates in a lower circular periphery 67, and the side wall 62 contains two apertures 69 (only one visible in FIG. 1), each of which is slightly eliptical with the major axis parallel to the circular periphery 67, and each of which is adapted to register with and receive one of the complete cylindrical pins 59 and 60 defined by the half pins integrally supported from the upper and lower circular members 14 and 16.

The lid portion 12 also has an elongated slot 70 equally spaced from the apertures 69 and constituting receiving means adapted to snap into engagement with the projecting lip 32 when the lid portion 12 is in a closed position.

Attention is now directed to the base portion 18 shown in FIG. 1. It will be seen that the base portion 18 includes a circular pedestal 72 having an upwardly converging, campanulate central peak 74, and a periphery 75 from which the three legs 20, 21 and 22 extend divergingly upwardly. Each leg is slightly curved in horizontal section to match the circular periphery 75, and each leg has at its upper end a horizontal, curvilinear flange 77 adapted to be received in recesses directly under and defined by the raised portions 47, 48 and 49 at the periphery of the bottom wall 39 of the lower circular member 16. The way in which the flanges 77 register with their respective recesses is shown in crosssection in FIG. 2, where the flange at the upper edge of the leg 22 is shown received in position beneath the raised portion 49.

The flanges 77 at the upper ends of the legs and 21 have each a single central aperture 78, while the flange 77 at the upper end of the leg 22 has two spaced apertures 80. Threaded fastening members, of which one is shown at 82 in FIG. I, are provided for each of the apertures 78 and 80.

The raised portions 47, 48 and 49 of the lower circular member 16 also have apertures 83 adapted to register with the apertures 78 and 80.

It will now be realized that four threaded fastening members such as shown at 82 in FIG. 1 will suffice to secure together the upper and lower circular members 14 and 16 and the base portion 18. When these parts are placed together, the apertures 78 and 80 register with the apertures 83, and the bosses 36 of the upper circular member 14 also register with the aligned apertures. When this alignment has taken place, the threaded fastening members can be inserted through the apertures and threaded into the bosses 36 to fasten the three parts together.

The registry defined immediately above is clearly shown in FIG. 4 which shows the upper portion of leg 21 in section, its flange 77, the raised portion 48, and the aligned boss 36 with the threaded fastening member 82 holding the three parts together.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 3, which shows how the lid portion 12 is eliptically distorted in order to permit it to sit over the two pins 59 and 60. First, the lid portion 12 is positioned above the body portion and angled slightly so that one of the apertures 69 in the side wall 62 can be fitted over a pin. In FIG. 3, the pin 59 is shown in registry with its corresponding aperture 69. At this point, the other aperture 69 is not in registry with the other pin 60. In order to achieve this registry, the lid portion 12 is eliptically distorted into the position shown by the broken line 84 in FIG. 3, so that the unregistered aperture 69 (at the top in FIG. 3) can pass over the outer end of the pin 60. into alignment. Then, the distorting force on the lid portion 12 is relaxed so that the lid portion springs back to its original circular configuration, thereby causing the pin 60 to enter its appropriate aperture 69.

When the two pins 59 and 60 are thus in engagement with the apertures 69, they define a hinge line about which the lid portion 12 can hinge with respect to the body portion, whichhinge line is related to the lid portion 12 as a chord is to a circle.

It will be understood that other arrangements of pins and apertures could be provided, which also would make use of the resilient distortion characteristics of the lid portion 12. For example, the pins could be provided on the body portion to extend inwardly toward one another, so that the lid portion 12 would have to be squeezed together between its two apertures in order to snap into registry. Alternatively, the lid portion 12 itself could support (integrally or otherwise) the pins, extending either outwardly or inwardly, and the body portion could define the apertures with which the pins are intended to register. Any and all of these arrangements require resilient distortability in the lid portion 12 in order to effect registry, and thus assembly.

In the particular construction of the embodiment shown in the drawings, it is desirable to avoid overbalancing the body portion by permitting the lid portion to swing too far backwardly in the open position. For this reason, although it is not essential to the invention, the particular embodiment shown includes an angulated steps 86 in the side wall 37 of the lower circular member 16, which steps can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The angulated steps are such that they provide a stop or abutment on the outer surfaces of the side wall 37, against which the circular periphery 67 of the lid portion 12 can rest when the lid portion 12 is in its maximum open position as seen in FIG. 2. This figure shows the abutment between one step 86 and the circular periphery 67. It will be understood that, in FIG. 2, the step 86 is such that the portion 87 to the left of the step 86 is closer to the viewer than the portion 88 to the right of the step 86.

It will also be seen in FIG. 2 that the portion 90 of the 1 side wall 62 immediately below the elongated slot 70 constitutes a camming surface which is adapted to distort the lid portion 12 outwardly at that point sufficiently to permit the snapping engagement of the slot with the protecting lip 32. The camming means arises because of the conical angulation of the side wall 62.

It will be realized that the resilient, distortable snapping engagement of the lid portion 12 with the body portion of the combination 10 does not necessarily require that the pins 59 and 60 be split pins with each of the two circular members 14 and 16 contributing one semi-cylindrical half of each pin. Manufacturing techniques are available by which the two circular members 14 and 16 could be molded as a single integral member, with the pins 59 and 60 also integrally molded therewith.

Nonetheless, there is an advantage inherent in the particular'construction of the members 14 and 16 as shown in FIG. 1, namely that the molding techniques for making both of these members, including the semicylindrical pin halves, are relatively simple.

What I claim is:

1. A container comprising a body portion and a lid portion, one of said portions supporting two spacedapart pins, the other of said portions defining two pocket means adapted to receive said pins, the lid portion having a substantially circular periphery and being resiliently distortable to permit said pins to enter said pocket means, said pins in said pocket means defining hinge means between said portions, the hinge means lying along a chord of said circular periphery.

2. The invention claimed in claim I, in which the body portion supports the two spaced-apart pins, and in which the pins project outwardly from the body portion and away from each other.

3. The invention claimed in claim 2, in which the body portion is generally circular and in which the pins are aligned with each other along a line constituting a chord of the circular body portion.

4. The invention claimed in claim 3, in which said pocket means are constituted by two apertures in the lid portion adjacent the circular periphery.

5. The invention claimed in claim 3, in which the lid portion has a frustoconical side wall converging upwardly from said circular periphery, a top wall, and two apertures in said side wall adjacent said periphery, said apertures constituting said pocket means.

6. The invention claimed in claim 1, in which the body portion includes an upper circular member and a lower circular member, each circular member defining a semi-cylindrical half of each said pin, such that the circular members can be juxtaposed to define said two pins projecting outwardly from the body portion in alignment with each other and with a line constituting a chord with respect to the circular members.

7. The invention claimed in claim 6, in 'which the said substantially circular periphery has a radius equal to the distance between the center of said upper circular member and an intermediate location on either pin, the lid having a frusto-conical side wall converging upwardly from said circular periphery, a top wall; and two apertures in said side wall adjacent said periphery, said apertures constituting said pocket means.

8. The invention claimed in claim 6, which further includes a base portion having a plurality of upstanding legs, all terminating beneath said lower circular member at locations where the two circular members are in contact, and which further includes fastening means at said locations for securing the two circular members and the base portion together.

9. The invention claimed in claim 7, in which one of said circular members has a projecting lip at a location substantially equally spaced from said pins, and in which the lid portion has receiving means adapted to snap into engagement with said projecting lip when the lid portion is in a closed position, the frusto-conical slope of the side wall constituting below said receiving means a camming means adapted to distort the lid portion sufficiently to permit the snapping engagement to 

1. A container comprising a body portion and a lid portion, one of said portions supporting two spaced-apart pins, the other of said portions defining two pocket means adapted to receive said pins, the lid portion having a substantially circular periphery and being resiliently distortable to permit said pins to enter said pocket means, said pins in said pocket means defining hinge means between said portions, the hinge means lying along a chord of said circular periphery.
 2. The invention claimed in claim 1, in which the body portion supports the two spaced-apart pins, and in which the pins project outwardly from the body portion and away from each other.
 3. The invention claimed in claim 2, in which the body portion is generally circular and in which the pins are aligned with each other along a line constituting a chord of the circular body portion.
 4. The invention claimed in claim 3, in which said pocket means are constituted by two apertures in the lid portion adjacent the circular periphery.
 5. The invention claimed in claim 3, in which the lid portion has a frustoconical side wall converging upwardly from said circular periphery, a top wall, and two apertures in said side wall adjacent said periphery, said apertures constituting said pocket means.
 6. The invention claimed in claim 1, in which the body portion includes an upper circular member and a lower circular member, each circular member defining a semi-cylindrical half of each said pin, such that the circular members can be juxtaposed to define said two pins projecting outwardly from the body portion in alignment with each other and with a line constituting a chord with respect to the circular members.
 7. The invention claimed in claim 6, in which the said substantially circular periphery has a radius equal to the distance between the center of said upper circular member and an intermediate location on either pin, the lid having a frusto-conical side wall converging upwardly from said circular periphery, a top wall, and two apertures in said side wall adjacent said periphery, said apertures constituting said pocket means.
 8. The invention claimed in claim 6, which further includes a base portion having a plurality of upstanding legs, all terminating beneath said lower circular member at locations where the two circular members are in contact, and which further includes fastening means at said locations for securing the two circular members and the base portion together.
 9. The invention claimed in claim 7, in which one of said circular members has a projecting lip at a location substantially equally spaced from said pins, and in which the lid portion has receiving means adapted to snap into engagement with said projecting lip when the lid portion is in a closed position, the frusto-conical slope of the side wall constitUting below said receiving means a camming means adapted to distort the lid portion sufficiently to permit the snapping engagement to take place. 